The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-05-13
No.2

and when he returned they all broke
the feast together. The sick woman
got up for the first time and began to
creep about. Her husband shaved and
put on clean shirt, which the grand
mother had washed, and went to ask
the help Of Il rich peasant who lived in
the village.
He had mortgaSed his field and
meadow-land to this peasant, and now
he wanted to beg him to let him have
the use of them during harvest time.
so that he might be able with the pro-
duce to pay off the mortgage. The
master Of the house came back late
that night with Il sad face. The rich
peasant had had no pity on him, but
in reply to his entreaties had merely
told him to bring the money.
This set Elisha thinking.
"Soon everybody else will go to hay
making" he said to himself, ''but they
will have no hay to NOW. The corn
will ripen and all the village will be
out harvesting-the rye is looking
beautiful this year (the literal transla-
ton of this sentence is, .'And how
beautiful she has made herself, this
year, our little Mother Rye,''1 but this
family will have no harvest to gather
in because they have parted with their
field to that rich peasant. If l go
away now they will just fall to the
ground again like an empty sack
These ideas troubled Elisha, and that
evening instead of going away he turn
ed as usual into the yard for the night
He said his prayers and lay down, but
somehow he could not sleep.
zone must CO." he thought; cal
ready there has been such an outlay of
time and money; but how about these
poor people? TO be sure, | can
not make everybody rich. | just
wanted to draw them a little water,
and to give them crust Of bread and
see what it has come to. Now it real
" seems as if | ought to buy back
their field and meadow. And if the
field is bought back, then there should
be COW for the children, and horse
to carry home the mans sheaves. This
is a pretty business, Elisha, my friend.
You are nicely caught that is GER
tain )"
He got up, unfolded his caftan (kind
of overcoat worn by Russian peasants),
which he had placed under his head
for pillow, produced his sleeps
horn snuff-box, and took pinch OF
snuff, hoping to clear his brain. But
he thought and thought, without find
ing any way out of his difficulty.
'Go one must" he repeated to him
self over and over again "but how
about these poor people
He knew not what to do. At last he
again folded up his caftan and lay
down.
The cocks were already beginning to
crow when he fell into doze. Sud
denly he felt as if he had been awak-
ened. He saw himself, as it seemed.
fully dressed, his sack on his back and
his pilgrims staff in his hand. and he
wanted to pass through the door of
the yard, but the door was almost shut,
so that only one person could creep
through at time. In trying to pass
through his sack caught on one of the
posts; he strove to free himself on that
side and then got entangled by the
fastenings of his leggings, which came
united. He attempted to escape, fan
ewing himself caught in the hedge; but
presently he perceived that it was the
little girl who held him, crying
''Bread, grand-dad. Give me bread,
Then he looked down at his feet and
saw that the little boy was clinging to
his leggings, and looking out of the
window were the father and the grand
mother. just at this moment Elisha
woke up and presently began to talk
to himself in loud voice. ''To NOR
row l will buy back the field and the
meadow, and | will buy horse. and a
COW too for the children. For now |
know that man might so to the ends
of the earth to look for Christ and yet
lose him out of his own soul. l must
give this family fresh start. And
Elisha slept till daylight. In the morn
inc early he went to the rich peasant
and redeemed the land; then he pur-
chased scythe-even that had been
sold. and having carried it home he
sent off the peasant to NOW, and went
himself to the neighbors enquirlng for
a horse. At last he heard that the
inn-keeper had horse and cart for
sale. He came to terms with him,
bought them, and then went to look
for Il COW.
In front of Elisha as he passed
through the village street walked two
Young peasant women. They were
chatting, and Elisha could hear that
the talk was about him.
One of them was saying;-"A first
they did not know what kind of man
he was-they thought he was simple
pilgrim. lie came in for drink, they
tell me, and then stayed altogether
They say he bought everything they
wanted. | saw him buy a horse and
cart from the innkeeper. Only to
think that there should be such people
in the world. Let us go and see.'
Elisha heard the words, understood
that he was being praised, and did not
90 to buy the COW, but returned to the
inn and paid for the horse and cart
He harnessed the horse and drove to
the cottage. At the gate he drew up
and got down from the cart. All the
family saw the horse and wandered
The idea that it might be for them oc-
Cured to them, but they did not care
to speak. The man came out to open
the gate.
"Why, grandfather, you have brought
horse with YOU"
Eyes. | have bought it it was a
bargain. Put little grass in the BIN
for the night
The peasant embarrassed the horse.
cut an armful of grass, and threw it
into the bin. They all went to bed
Elisha lay outside in the yard; over
night he had carried his sack out of
the cottage. When everyone was asleep
he rose up, shouldered mis- sack, fasten-
ed his shoes, put on his caftan, and
went along the road Ivan had taken.